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Page 42(Chronicles of Froissart)

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George they approached, and blew up their trumpets and set their archers before them and sailed toward the town. They of Cadsand saw well this great ship' approach: they knew well that they were Englishmen, and arranged them on the dikes and on the sands with their banners before them, and they made sixteen new knights. They were a five thousand men of war, good knights and squires: there was sir Guy of Flanders, a good and a sure knight, but he was a bastard, and he desired all his company to do well their devoir ; and also there was sir Ducre de Halewyn, sir John de Rhodes, sir Giles Le Trief, sir Simon and sir John of Brugdam, who were there made knights, and Peter of Ingelmunster, with many other knights and squires, expert men of arms. The Englishmen were desirous to assail and the Flemings to defend. The English archers began to shout and cried their cries, so that such as kept the passage were fain perforce to recule back. At this first assault there were divers sore hurt, and the Englishmen took land and came and fought hand to hand. The Flemings fought valiantly to defend the passage, and the Englishmen assaulted chivalrously. The earl of Derby was that day a good knight, and at the first assault he was so forward that he was stricken to the earth ; and then the lord of Manny did him great comfort, for by pure feat of arms he relieved him up again and brought him out of peril, and cried, ` Lancaster for the earl of Derby ! ' Then they approached on every part ; and many were hurt, but more of the Flemings than of the Englishmen, for the archers shot so wholly together,2 that they did to the Flemings much damage. Thus in the haven of Cadsand there was a sore battle: for the Flemings were good men of war, chosen out by the earl of Flanders to defend that passage against the
1 `Ceste grosse navire.' Froissart uses 'navire' in its older meaning, i.e. `fleet.' 2 ` Qui continuelment traioient,' `who shot without ceasing.' It was the rapidity of the shooting that made the long-bow so fatal a weapon, as compared for example with the cross-bow. The author m hislast revision says: `The cross-bowmen shot as best they might, but the English set nothing by it, for archers are much more rapid in shooting than cross-bowmen.' Villani, speaking of the nglish archers, says that they shot three arrows for one of the cross-bows.

Englishmen; and of England there was the earl of Derby, son to the earl Henry of Lancaster with the wry neck, the earl of Suffolk, sir Raynold Cobham, sir Louis Beauchamp, sir William Fitz-Warin, the lord Berkeley, sir Walter Manny and divers other. There was a sore battle and well foughten hand to hand : but finally the Flemings were put to the chase, and were slain more than three thousand, what in the haven, streets and houses. Sir Guy the bastard of Flanders was taken; and sir Ducre de Halewyn and sir John de Rhodes were slain, and the two brethren of Brugdam, and sir Giles de Le Trief and more than twenty-six knights and squires ; and the town taken and pilled, and all the goods and prisoners put into the ships, and the town brent. And so thus the Englishmen returned into England without any damage. The king caused sir Guy bastard of Flanders to swear and to bind himself prisoner, and in the same year he became English, and did faith and homage to the king of England.

CHAPTER XXXII

How king Edward of England made great alliances in the Empire.

AFTER this discomfiture at Cadsand tidings thereof spread abroad in the country, and they of Flanders said that without reason and against their wills the earl of Flanders had laid there that garrison ; and Jaques d'Arteveld would not it had been otherwise and incontinent he sent messengers to king Edward, recommending him to his grace with all his heart, counselling him to come thither and to pass the sea, certifying him how the Flemings greatly desired to see him. Thus the king of England made great purveyances : and when the winter was past, he took the sea, well accompanied with dukes,' earls and barons, and div